Sunderland Flying Boat

Sunderland Flying Boat - ML883
Thursday, 31 March 2011 23:30
ML883 was a Mk IIIa Sunderland Flying Boat which makes it particularly interesting and equally
confusing. Nowhere in the world can you see a Mk IIIa, in fact finding exactly what constitutes a
Mk IIIa is almost impossible. Basically the Mk IV Sunderlands were rejected by the RAF and
therefore as a stop gap measure some Mk III's were modified while they waited for the Mk V but there was no standard. If you compare a Mk III and Mk V aircraft, a Mk IIIa can have a mix
of the different features depending on what was available at the time.
ML883 served with both Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 422 and 423 Coastal Command
Squadrons based out of Castle Archdale (Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland). This
probably makes ML883 one of those aircraft that breached Irish neutrality during WWII by flying
the
Donegal Corridor , but this was not publicised at
the time.
1/4
Sunderland Flying Boat - ML883
Thursday, 31 March 2011 23:30
This
is the
only
descent
photo
of based
ML883
we
have
found
and
clearly
shows
a mix
of Mk
and
hardware.
Although
1944
assigned
ither
was
ML883
to 423
during
at Pembroke
squadron.
was
a storm
Dock
and
It at
was
she
Loch
and
on
sank.
on
Erne,
this
the
final
16th
it seemed
trip
December
to
Calshot
to
getIII1944
around
onMkthe
itV was
quite
17th that
ataCalshot
bit.a On
surface
-the
but10th
still
vessel
June
struck
Christmas Draw tickets 1s each - win liquor, cosmetics and chocolates. Oh, also ML883 sank at Calshot.
2/4
Sunderland Flying Boat - ML883
Thursday, 31 March 2011 23:30
James
flew
ML883
on
'Jimmy'
over
ML883 on
60 Newall
years
theaago,
5th
was
June
but
acan
Flight
we
1944.
are
Mechanic
He
hoping
trained
he
(engines)
still
on
the
knows
and
Bristol
where
Air
Pegasus
Gunner
to find
with
engines
the
423
serial
used
Squadron
numbers!
on
and
Today
the
Power
Skis
chart
and
well.
the
Station,
Sailing
section
wreck
Active
Boats
lies
below
Lifeboat
couple
as
you
well
of
as
Station,
see
metres
the
why
current
Shipping
proud
it's
not
and
ofaLanes,
the
general
very
seabed at
easy
Harbourmaster
lousy
dive!
visibility
a depth
The
proximity
(VTS),
of
have
just
protected
over
Moorings,
to
the
20m.
Refinery,
this
From
Jet
wreck
same
Depth
Location
Period
Dive
Type
20m
50 49.306
01
18.483
W
1944
RIB
Dive
Wight
and
Hampshire
700ft
(apart
identity
to
situation
from
theN,
of
the
North
the
in
tail
the
wreck,
ofsection
Calshot
early
Kendall
that
70's.
(Site
Light
was
What
31
has
Buoy.
missing),
Page
got
confuses
At
it51)
almost
that
upside
states
us
time
right,
today
that
down
thethe
wreck
the
is and
where
Royal
siteburied
was
was
the
Marines
reported
discovered
cockpit
in thealso
mud.
to
has
be
reported
ingone?
Apart
nearly
1971,from
the
intact
about
the
3/4
Sunderland Flying Boat - ML883
Thursday, 31 March 2011 23:30
We know where the 4th prop is and we know what happened to the tail, but who has the nose section?
4/4